In The Face Of Danger, You Must Run!
by DeathToNerdBerry
Summary: After the Dark Tournament, everyone gets to resume their normal lives... Or so they thought. With the appearance of an odd American transfer student at Kurama's high school and a troublesome trio of demons, Yusuke and the gang have gotta save the world YET AGAIN. Contains a few OCs with possible romance.
1. This Peaceful Life

Kurama gazed outside his open bedroom window. A calm breeze tousled through his long layered hair. The boy sighed as he closed the glass panes. Things just hadn't felt right for the past few days. Ever since he, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei had defeated Team Toguro and eliminated the Dark Tournament commitee, the city had been awfully quiet. Not even the smallest of demons had bothered to show up and make any sort of trouble.

"Shuichi! I've got breakfast ready for you!"

It was his human mother, Shiori.

"I'll be right down, mother. I'm just finishing getting dressed!" He called back.

Quickly, the boy dressed himself in an off-red uniform, grabbed his book bag, and headed down the stairs. He hadn't the time to worry about the inactivity of the Makai. Right now he was Shuichi Minamino, a Japanese human male of only sixteen years. Not the notorious fox thief, Yoko Kurama! As he entered the dining area, he was met by a middle aged woman with dark hair and a warm smile. Kurama grinned back, his green eyes brightening. Although she was not his real mother, he felt eternally indebted to her kindness for raising him.

"Hurry up and eat before it gets cold!" Shiori said. "I've got to head into work early this morning so I can't join you today."

"Aren't you going to eat anything at all? I don't want you feeling ill before you even start your day."

His mother trailed to the front door and slipped on her shoes."I'll be all right. Besides, I only made enough for you, Shuichi."

"Will you be home late tonight as well?"

"Well, I'm not really sure yet. We are working on a very important project right now so it's very possible." Glancing at her watch she gasped, "Oh no! Look at how late it is! I've got to get going! Have a good day at school, dear!"

"I will. Stay safe, mother."

After saying his goodbyes, he finished his meal quickly. Grabbing a hold of his school bag he tapped his feet into his black loafers and headed out. A little ways down the road and a train ride later, he arrived to the entrance of Meiou High School. Inside, he paused to hear a small commotion in the hallway.

"Really? Are you sure that girl is an American? I thought they were supposed to be glamorous blondes or something."

A nameless clique of female students were gossiping.

"Did you check out her dyed hair? What, does she think it makes her more attractive?"

"Yeah, well she definitely isn't from around here! I don't even think she's from this planet!"

The students unanimously snickered.

Normally, he was not interested in the idle chatter of his mean spirited peers. However, this time was quite intriguing and the 'someone' they were talking about had caught his attention. A few feet away, a thinly shaped girl with blackened frayed hair and a hopelessly lost look in her eyes stood. In her hand she clutched a piece of paper with stylized kanji written on it. He watched her as she seemed to try and study it with an intense focus. It was clear to them both that she could not understand the writing. Out of desperation, the girl approached the talkative group.

"Excuse me," she spoke politely, "Would you be able to tell me where I could find a teacher by this name?" Her index finger lightly tapped the symbol on the page.

"Oh?" One of the girls piped up, a scheme in her eyes. "I believe he's on the fourth floor. Go all the way down the hall and straight up the stairs. It's the first door you see, you can't miss him."

"Yeah, what she said! It's a real no-brainer!" The others chimed in, hiding a snicker.

"Wonderful! Thank you very much!" The oddball girl deeply bowed, oblivious to their prank. She happily sprung off while the other girls chuckled and dispersed.

Kurama slightly narrowed his emerald eyes. He had forgotten how harsh humans could be, especially with tricks like this. Feeling pity for the girl, he made his way through the sea of students and followed the clique's directions. When he opened the door to the mysterious 'classroom' it was, in reality, the exit to the roof. Sure enough there she was, the gullible girl, looking even more disheartened than before.

"So, I see you've found the roof." Kurama said as he approached her,

She looked up at him through her long messy bangs with a shocked face, "Oh! I guess I did! Silly me..." A fake smile appeared in the corners of her mouth.

"You must be new here. Try not to pay those girls any mind." He stared at the paper still scrunched tightly in her hands. "I'm Shuichi Minamino, by the way."

"My name is Serina Demir. It's great to meet you, Minamino-san!" She performed another deep bow causing him to chuckle slightly.

"No need to be so formal. Please, call me Shuichi."

"Oh, um, yes! Thank you very much."

Her Japanese was surprisingly fluid, but her accent was thick. Looks aside, her speech was a dead give away that she was foreign.

"Now, if you would like, I can help you find your home room teacher." he gestured towards the wrinkled paper. "And I promise I won't lead you to another roof top exit."

"All right, I would appreciate that, Shuichi." She handed it to him.

"What a coincidence," Said the red-haired boy as he quickly read it, "It appears we are in the same class."

"Oh, we are? That's great!" Serina said with a sigh of relief.

The pair made their way back down the stairs and into the main building. They stopped in front of a classroom marked '3-B' (which was only a few feet away from where Serina had asked for help before). The two entered hurriedly and found their seats just as the bell rang. All things considered, it had been a pretty normal start to the week.

Meanwhile, the realms of the Spirit World were having a lousy Monday. Somewhere inside a grandiose palace stood heavy with piles of paperwork.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" a voice from inside screamed with agony.

"Koenma, sir!" a blue ogre cried. "Please calm down!"

"Calm down?! At this rate I'll have a full head of gray hair by next week!" Koenma said, rubbing his noggin in frustration.

Koenma, the prince of the Underworld had been neglecting his duties as usual. Ever since his week long vacation on Hanging Neck Island the documents for the dead had gone unstamped at his desk. The souls of demons, humans, and everything in between had all been waiting in line for his return. He crossed his arms and began sucking on his pacifier harshly as his servant, Jorge, tried desperately to calm him.

"**LORD KOENMA!**" A blue haired girl had burst through the office doors. "It's an _**emergency**_!"

Koenma and his ogre both fell back in a moment of surprise. The toddler quickly straightened himself out and sat upright in his chair.

"Botan, do you always have to interrupt me while I'm doing work?" he said.

"I'm sorry sir, but I've just received this report." she pulled out a manilla file from the opening fold of her pink kimono.

"Hm, what's this?" The prince opened it and read the first page, his expression hardened. "This is not good."

"What is it, my lord?" The balding one-horned demon inquired, "Did the lunch room run out of those little rice cakes you love so much?"

"This isn't the time to be joking, ogre! We've got a real problem on out hands." scolded Koenma as he flipped through the other pages.

"Should I track down Yusuke and the others?" Botan asked.

"Yes. Inform the psychic Genkai as well. I'm counting on you."

"Of course!"

And with that, the reaper pulled out her oar and set sail for the human world.

"I still don't get it..." said Jorge.


	2. Back To Business!

"Are you almost ready to go, Shuichi?"

"Yes, just let me gather the rest of my things." The boy grabbed the scattered pile of his books and neatly set them into his briefcase. Rising from his desk, he joined the frizzy haired girl out of the class room.

After discovering that they were in the same class, he and Serina ended up spending their entire lunch period together. Now there they were at the end of the day, strolling the halls as if they had been friends all along.

"Great!" She said "Oh, and thank you for offering to walk me home today. I know it's a bother but I am still learning the area."

"Well, it would be quite troubling if you took the wrong train home." he teased as the two passed the entrance, "Besides, I don't live very far from your stop."

"Thank you."

Serina averted her eyes towards the wall. She wasn't used to this 'nice guy' treatment. Why had he chosen to be kind to her? The other students either mumbled back-handed comments under their breath or didn't even know she existed. Yet here was Shuichi Minamino, patient with her clumsiness and not asking for a thing in return.

A semi-long silence followed them all the way to the nearby station.

_'I don't deserve the kindness of people like him...' _she thought looking back at the red head.

Noticing her worrisome expression, Kurama opened his mouth to speak but was interjected by a dark shadow.

"I've been looking for you." It was a boy no taller than five feet.

"Hiei?" Kurama looked a bit off guard.

"Oh, is this a friend of yours?" Serina asked her schoolmate.

She turned her head slightly to get a better look at this strange person. He wore a long, shiny black coat with a white scarf draped around his neck. His spiky hair was a deep black with an unusual yet natural-formed star burst of white highlights toward the center. On his forehead rested a white headband. It gave her this odd sensation, like there was something dangerous hiding beneath it. This boy known as 'Hiei' turned his cold stare onto her.

"Who's the girl?" he asked with a low and bitter tone.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me! My name's Serina." The girl bowed politely but he paid her no mind.

"Hn." The short fellow turned his scarlet eyes to the long haired boy, "Botan sent me. She says it's urgent."

Kurama furrowed his eyebrows. "I see." He lightened his expression before turning to a very confused Serina."I'm sorry. But would you be able to get home from here?" 

Dumbfounded and somewhat peeved by Hiei's previous attitude, she responded "Um, I suppose so. Is everything O.K., Shuichi?"

"Yes, no need to worry. Just something I need to take care of first. I'll see you in class tomorrow." 

The two waved good bye as Serina boarded a train. As the car began to move, she couldn't help but think that her new friend was hiding something. She peered at the boys through the window until they became a blur, the red-orange sun setting in the background. Though she was very curious, she didn't want to question him.

_ 'Maybe he really doesn't like me after all. No good can come when you're friends with a reject like me, anyways...'. _

The girl frowned. Someone like Shuichi was the last person she wanted to hate her. He was so intelligent and charismatic, and not to mention good-looking. When they were chatting over lunch, he seemed like a different person. Carefree and warm. Now, there was a lingering coldness with the last words they had spoken. Was this really the same boy she had met earlier? Or was he, like the girls in the hall, pretending to be nice? And what was with his rude friend? Was it someone like him that Shuichi liked to hang out with? 

When the train had stopped, Serina stepped through the automatic doors and walked down a dimly lit road. She just shook her head. Silly thoughts of jealousy would get her nowhere! Besides, it was all probably a misunderstanding and she could ask him tomorrow at school about his interesting friend. 

Everything would be O.K... 

_"Well, well, well. _What do we have here?_"_

...Or so she thought. 

The girl shuddered at the voice.

_'No...it couldn't be!'_

From behind, an icy hand touched her shoulder. It ran a slender finger along her collar bone and up to her chin. 

"You remember me, don't you?" The sultry voice said with hot breaths followed by an eerie whisper, "I haven't forgotten you."

"Auh!" was all she could spit out before another cold hand wrapped itself around her neck with a tightening grip.

Back at Koenma's Castle, Kurama, Hiei, Botan, and two others had arrived in his royal office. Koenma was seated at his now cleared desk, hands folded with a serious expression on his face. Botan approached him first. 

"I've brought everyone you've asked for, sir." 

"Good work, Botan." he replied, "But Yusuke, where is Genkai?" 

"Oh, that old hag?"A rough looking boy in a green uniform spoke up from the group. "She's with Yukina. Probably having tea and chasing kids off her front lawn! " 

"Whaaaat? Yukina's at Genkai's place and no one told me?" Piped up a tall boy in a blue jumpsuit.

"Hn. If I had known we were all here to socialize about Kuwabara's idiocy, then I would have stayed at home." Hiei scowled.

"Why you little shrimp!"

"Why have we all been summoned here?" Kurama asked in an attempt to move things along. 

The toddler turned to the red-haired fox. "I received a report early this morning about a group of demons." He pulled out a remote and the gang's focus turned to a large screen across from them. It displayed an old picture of what looked to be three human-like silhouettes attacking a small village, two females and one male. "They call themselves the 'Magic Three', and are very dangerous." 

"Yes, I think I've heard of them before." Kurama said "They are ancient and powerful apparitions that suddenly disappeared from this region two thousand years ago. The destruction that they caused in the Demon World is now a bed time tale told to young ones."

Kuwabara spoke up "If they've been missing for THAT long then doesn't that mean they're dead or something? What's the big deal? I mean, it's not like they're around to do any bad stuff, right?" 

"My thoughts exactly!" Botan chimed in, "But my sources say that they saw one of the three in the city. Furthermore, I've also have a list of names of the human souls that he's claimed."

Yusuke made an angry face at the screen. "Do you have a better picture of them so I can tell whose ass I'm suppose to kick? Or should I just beat up every lowlife I see until I find the guy."

"Yusuke's got a point."said Kurama. "Is there any other way we can identify them?"

Koenma crossed his arms. "Unfortunatley, no. This photograph was taken the last time they were seen. The only other information that we have is that the demon roaming around is most certainly this one" He pointed to the masculine figure in the photo. "Juno."

"So what, do we just go out and call his name like a dog until he runs home?" Yusuke was getting impatient.

Suddenly, a black haired shinigami burst through the door!

"Lord Koenma, sir!" she said with fear, "Quickly, change your monitor to the human world!"

"What's this all about, Ayame?" Koenma looked at her with surprise. 

"I was out patrolling and I came across the demon, Juno!"

Yusuke perked up."All right, now that's what I'm talking about, where is the bastard?"

Using his spirit remote, he changed the channel over to where Ayame had said. A clear image could be seen of a blonde haired demon clutching a schoolgirl around the throat. Kurama's eyes opened wide in horror. 

"Serina?!"


	3. Old Enemies, New Friends!

Serina was barely able to breathe. Juno smiled as he pressed his thumbs into the center of her neck. He  
loved this iconic combination of a helpless girl dressed in a high school uniform. It was just all too classic!

"Come on, _minette_. It's no fun if you don't fight back!"

Shutting her eyes tightly, she began to shudder. She lifted her pale hands up to his and weakly dug her nails in.

_'I don't want to die! Not like this! I- I can't!'_

Suddenly, her body became warm as ribbons of energy shot out from her core. The raw power surged through her fingertips, toughened her grip, and caused the demon's hand to bleed. Serina opened her mouth and let out a hateful scream. The enemy released her, watching in satisfaction at this transformation. Opening her eyes, her dark and damaged hair had become a shiny brilliant white. The streams of power multiplied and rapidly circled her whole body as she began to charge at him.

"**STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!**" Serina yelled, swinging a glowing fist at Juno.

He redirected the punch with his forearm and grabbed her opposing wrist. He then whipped the girl up into the air and slammed her face first into the hard concrete. Serina could feel a stream of blood trailing down her forehead.

"My, my. What a temper for such a smart little school girl!" The demon tossed back his long blond hair. "Didn't your parents ever teach you how to behave?"

"And didn't _**your**_ parents ever teach you not to pick on little girls?"

Juno turned around to find the owner of the smug comment. It was Yusuke Urameshi! Kurama, Kuwabara, and Hiei stood close by.

"I didn't know you were so popular with the boys, _ma__ch__é__rie_." said Juno, ignoring the delinquent's comment.

"Yeah, well your **FACE** is about to get real popular with my **FIST**!" Yusuke leaped forward into a flying punch straight at him. The boy's blow hit its mark as it crashed into the demon's jaw. Juno slumped back a few feet and landed on one knee.

"Yeah! That's what you get for hittin' a girl, ya big bully!" Kuwabara cheered from the sidelines. Hiei, who seemed rather unimpressed, stayed quiet.

The girl attempted to get up but jerked back tears as she felt a sharp burning sensation in her right arm. Looking down at it, she could tell it was horribly twisted and broken. Kurama ran over to his panicked schoolmate. Between Serina's quickened breaths, a calming scent of roses lingered in the air.

"Try not to move too much." the boy said while he placed a gentle hand on her left shoulder, "Just stay where you are."

The girl didn't recognize who was speaking to her, but his voice was soothing and familiar.

"It seems that my little flower is into bad boys now, _non_?" The blond demon jeered, collecting himself from the ground. "Guess I don't have a chance with you. Though I'll still cherish those cold nights we spent together~!"

"What the hell are you babbling about?" Yusuke interjected. "Why don't you make this easy on yourself and get back on the ground, eh?"

"As much as I would love to stay and play with your new friends, I must bid you _adieu!_" He elegantly bowed and winked at Serina.

"Hey are you stupid or something?! I'm over here!" Yusuke leapt at the demon once again but his punch went straight through. Juno had faded into the night air, leaving no trace of his presence.

"W-wait..." Serina weakly whimpered before everything went black.

A while later, her garnet eyes slowly opened. A blurred vision of a ceiling came into view. She tensed her fingers and felt a soft fabric beneath them.

_'A futon?__'_ she thought to herself, _'Is this my bed? But... __when__ did I get here?'_

She slowly turned her head to the side, her mind still hazy with sleep.

_'__Oh... I remember now... I went to school for the first time in a year. All the teachers seemed really nice... and then __I met__ Shuichi who helped me __to__class__... and then … __and then...__' _

"**...and then..."**

Distraught, she shot up, throwing a heavy blanket off of her.

**"****J****uno****!"**

Quickly looking at her surroundings, it occurred to her that she was **not** at home. There was a rice paper door across from her and the floor was covered with tatami mats. This was a very traditional looking home. Remembering her previous injury she glanced at her right arm. It didn't hurt nearly as bad as before and was now tightly bandaged up. She touched her forehead. Where her wound had been, it now seemed like it never existed except for the fact that she had earned a raging headache. It was then that a small elderly woman entered the room.

"It's about time you woke up." she said

"Who are you?" A blank look of confusion washed over Serina's face. "And...where am I?"

"Relax, kid, you're safe here. My name is Genkai and you're in my house."

"I don't understand. I was walking home and then I was fighting Ju-" Serina stopped herself, placing a hand on her mouth. If she were to say anything about her fight with Juno, this poor old lady might send her to the loony bin!

"You tried to fight a powerful demon by yourself and lost." Genkai said, matter-of-factually.

"Er..."

"Believe it or not, I know a thing or two about handling troublemakers from the Underworld."

"Oh... Really?!"

Serina couldn't believe what she was hearing. No one she had ever met had actually _**knew**_ what a demon looked like let alone how to _**deal **_with them! Come to think of it, during the fight she thought she had heard other voices. Were those demon fighters too? They must have saved her! For some reason, she remembered the scent of roses. But she couldn't remember this old lady being there...

"Is someone else here with you?" Serina asked, "You know, who also 'handle' demons?"

Before Genkai could say anything, the door opened. It was a pretty, long haired girl dressed in a light blue kimono.

"Oh, you're awake!" she said as she carried in a set of new bandages. "I was just about to re-dress your arm."

"My arm? OH! My arm!" Serina recalled, "Thank you! I thought it was broken pretty badly but I guess I just sprained it." She rubbed the back of her head as the new girl knelt beside her.

"Actually, it hardly looked like an arm when you first got here!" Genkai added, "Yukina and I used our spiritual energy to heal you."

"Spiritual...energy?" the school girl inquired, "You mean... you blessed me and I got better?"

"Now that's a laugh. No, we manipulated our energies to fix that mangled arm of yours."

Serina gave them an innocently quizzical stare.

"You mean, you really don't know?" Yukina asked. "But I can sense an immense amount of energy being held up inside of you!"

"I think we need to have a little chat." said Genkai.

A few doors down, the Spirit Detective and his team (along with Botan who had arrived moments after the fight) were sipping on tea. Strange things had happened that night and many questions were lingering in the air.

"So, you're saying that the girl we saw at Koenma's is the same as the one we saved?" Yusuke said to the red-head across from him.

"Precisely." Kurama responded, cradling a teacup in his hands.

Hiei looked at him. "And you're positive that girl is your little friend from earlier?"

"Yes. I was unsure at first." he face changed into a worrisome expression, "But once I got close, I noticed her scent was the same."

"I could have sworn she had dark hair before." Botan chimed in."What could have caused her appearance to change so drastically?"

Genkai entered the room.

"Spiritual Repression." She said, like a doctor diagnosing a patient.

The whole gang looked at the old woman.

"What's that s'posed to mean, Master Genkai?" Kuwabara asked, his mind filled with strange possibilities.

"It is a state when one cannot access their spiritual energy unless they become extremely vulnerable. Once they become emotionally unstable, the user will lose the ability to contain it, causing it to violently erupt."

"Well that explains her crappy fighting," said Yusuke, "but what does that have to do with that weird hairstyle?"

"I've heard of some extreme cases where a person's energy level is so out of sync that it can cause the user's appearance to change out of stress. Its not a common occurrence but it does happen. By the way, if you have any more questions I suggest you go ask her yourself. She's awake now."

That was all they needed to hear before moving over to the room where Serina was resting. Leaving Genkai behind, the group approached her side (except for Hiei who stayed by the doorway). Yukina, who had just finished bandaging the girl's arm, stood and greeted the gang with a smile.

"Oh, hello everyone!"

"Yuuuuukiiinaaa~!" Kuwabara pranced toward her, "How nice it is to see you!"

Yukina giggled, "Hello to you too, Kazuma! Have you all come to check on Serina? Her arm is almost fully healed."

The tall boy made a righteous pose, his ginger pompadour bouncing along with every motion,"That's because of your amazing healing powers, baby! See, Kurama here was really worried." he pointed over to the other red-head, "But **I, **the honorable Kazuma Kuwabara, knew you could do it all along!"

Serina's ears perked up. She looked to where Kuwabara was pointing. It was her classmate, Shuichi Minamino but, why did this boy call him 'Kurama'? Realizing her current appearance, the thought was pushed out of her head. That was the last person she wanted to encounter while she was in her current state! Grabbing the nearby blanket, she made a desperate attempt to hide her bright snowy hair. Naturally, this had attracted every one's attention.

"Are you feeling cold?" Yukina asked with concern.

"Um, well I..."

"It's all right," Kurama comforted, placing a hand on her head, "There's no need to hide yourself. We already know what's happened." He lifted the sheet, uncovering the slumped girl as her cheeks reddened from embarrassment.

"Oh." She said. Serina took a deep breath, gathering a little courage to look up at everyone, "That must mean you're the fighters that Genkai said helped me out."

"Helped you out?" Yusuke spoke up, "You almost got yourself killed! Why were you messin' around with a guy like that anyways?"

"He acted like you two were old friends, or somethin'!" Kuwabara proclaimed.

"No." The expression of shame in Serina's eyes turned into a mixture of anger and sadness. She clenched her right fist, causing a bit of pain. "That's not true at all. I would never, **EVER**,befriend a _**monster**_ like him."

"Well that's good," Yusuke said "At least we know you're not on his side. So, you're name is Serina, right?

"Yes, it is."

"I'm Yusuke Urameshi. This big oaf is Kuwabara." he pointed to the tall boy who seemed displeased at the comment. "From what I hear you've already met Kurama and Hiei, so that just leaves-"

"-Botan's my name!" The girl with a ponytail said cheerfully as she bounced up to her, "I'm Yusuke's spirit coach!"

Serina's face turned back to its usual expression. "Thank you all for saving me." she said, "But, I need to get back home now."

"Are you sure you're feeling well enough to walk?" Botan asked.

"I think I can manage." She said, slowly rising to her feet. Besides, someone is waiting for me. They'd be very worried if I didn't come home tonight."

"Then it can't be helped! I'll fly you home! "

"Thank you- Wait, what?"

Botan opened the door and held out the palm of her hand. An oar magically appeared into it. \

"Hop on! We'll use this to get you home quickly." She seated herself on the now floating object.

Serina walked up to her in disbelief. "Um, that's O.K. I'll just walk home."

"Don't be silly!" Exclaimed Botan as she pulled the shy girl up. "It's perfectly safe! Just try not to fall off!"

The two zoomed off into the night air before Serina could object any further.

Not far from where Serina had fought, Juno was glowering at his injured hand. He never expected his precious little toy to have such powerful friends. Sensing a secondary presence behind him, he let out an arrogant laugh.

"Bira! Lamia! Were you spying on me?" He said coyly.

Under the shade of a nearby tree, two blonde demons hopped out. One was tall and busty wearing a black and white swirled one piece. The other was short girl with long pigtails. She was dressed in an elementary school uniform.

"It's no fair if you get to have all the fun!" The shorter one pouted, "Lamia and I wanted to play too!"

"Now, now, Bira! You know you mustn't waste your precious energy." He said dotingly, "At least not until we get your strength back up."

"Aw! But when are you gonna let me play?" The little one whined.

"Don't worry, I'll find some nice kids your age for you to play with tomorrow! And if you're good," He smiled wickedly, "I'll serve you up the spirit energy of my _minette_!"

"And what about her friends?" Objected Lamia "From what I saw, those boys are the infamous spirit detective and the team that prevailed in destroying the Dark Tournament Committee."

"Oho! Is my sister worried about _moi_?"

"Wha- what?! No!" The demon girl crossed her arms and blushed. "I'm just worried about Bira. She relies on you, you know."

Juno grabbed his middle sister by the waist and pulled her in for a tight hug. "There's no need to worry! We'll make sure that our sweet little _brie_ is taken care of." He pulled his bleeding hand up to Lamia's mouth and she began to suckle his wound. "You **will** help your older brother out now, _won't you_?"

"Y-yes, anything for you." She whispered in between laps of blood.


	4. Looking For Answers

It was lunchtime at Meiou High. Serina silently slipped away from the classroom and worked her way to the roof. With a package of melon bread that she snagged from the school's lunch stall, she found a spot by the corner and sat down to eat. The girl was beside herself. There were still so many questions she wanted answers for. Genkai had helped to diagnose her 'condition' and explain how spirit energy worked but there were still so many things she wanted to know. Things she _needed_ to know. Yet, a fear of finding those answers lingered inside of her. She had always been alone when dealing with these sort of problems. No one had ever known about her past with Juno, not even the foster parent who had brought her to this country. Now, the people she had met last night _**and**_ her classmate knew about her supernatural life.

_'I was such an idiot to think I could live a normal life here.'_ She thought as she looked up to the sky. _'All I wanted was to get away from __Juno__...and everything he took from me.'_

A deep sigh exited her lips as she closed her crimson eyes.

"Is there room for one more?" A boy's voice spoke.

Serina opened her eyes and pressed herself against the cold metal fence out of surprise. Looking up, she saw a smiling Shuichi with a bento in hand.

"Mhm." she nodded, her heart still beating fast from the shock.

"I didn't mean to startle you. How is your arm?" The red head sat down next to her. He gazed upon her frail figure. She had dyed her white locks back into a dull and frayed black.

"Its much better, thank you." She clenched her bandaged fist. It was still very sore but she was toughing it out. "And, how are you?" 

"I am alright." Kurama said. "Actually, I wanted to ask you a few things about last night."

"Oh." Serina said, opening up her lunch. Her chest tightened, preparing for what he was about to say.

"Juno spoke to you as if he knew you very closely. I need to know why. What are his intentions for being here?" 

"I don't really _know_ him..." The girl trailed off, turning her eyes to the floor. "I first ran into him two years ago in America. I think he followed me here but, I have no idea why." 

Kurama knew she wasn't telling the whole story from the bleak expression on her face but he decided not to pry any further.

At least not yet. 

"I have a question for you too." Serina said, changing the topic. "Why did your friends call you 'Kurama'? Is that a special nickname or something?"

"Not exactly." The boy creased his eyebrows. He wasn't entirely sure if he should reveal his past to her.

"I see. So then, is that what I should call you? I mean, we are friends too, aren't we?"

He gave her a small smile. "Yes, we are. But, if you could continue to call me Shuichi around school..."

"Of course!" she blurted. "It's your cool secret identity or something, right? Genkai told me a little bit about how you guys were detectives for the supernatural world. I mean, I've seen stuff like this in movies back home before but I didn't know that it really existed!"

Kurama laughed out loud. "I wouldn't say our job is as eloquent as you have put it. But, it certainly is a low-profile ordeal."

He felt relieved with her knowing about his 'detective' life. For the first time in fifteen years, he actually relaxed a little. Sure, Serina was a strange girl but his intuition was telling him to trust her.

The two continued to happily chat while they finished their meals. Soon after, the bell rang and they were back off to class. A long day's worth of lectures passed by and the pair carried on with their journey home. They stepped onto the crowded train and grabbed the overhead handles. Kurama looked over to his classmate. She had been quiet and seemed tempted to say something.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

"I know we both live in the same area but you don't have to keep offering to walk me home."

"It's not a problem. Besides, it is better that we travel in numbers for now."

"Oh, right..." she said, having almost forgotten about last night's incident. Having another limb broken was not on her agenda.

"America is a very exciting place from what I have read. What made you decide to move overseas?" Kurama asked.

"A friend." the girl said. "Yuzuki-san is originally from here. She was my mentor for a while. Last year, she decided to come back home. I thought I could use a change of scenery so I joined her."

"I see. You two must be close." the boy replied.

"Yes. She's a wonderful teacher as well. I was able to learn Japanese fairly quick thanks to her."

Kurama was beginning to understand his classmate a bit more. With her having lived here for only a year, it was no wonder she couldn't read kanji that well.

The train's crowd became tighter as they made a quick stop at an in-between station. The rush of people caught Serina off guard. Suddenly, a push from behind caused her to trip. The red-head reached out and caught her in an embrace. Her heartbeat quickened, her cheeks turning from pale to a bright pink.

_'Roses?'_

Serina recognized the smell on his uniform. He must have been the one who was next to her last night! She looked up to see beautiful green eyes staring back at her. The girl quickly pushed away and readjusted herself.

"I-I am so sorry." she apologized. 

"It's quite all right." the boy said, a little flushed. "Are you hurt?"

"N-no."

"Good." he said with a smile. "I believe our stop is up next."

An awkward silence followed them as they got off the train. Serina, too flustered to say anything, had managed to calm her heart but her cheeks were still aflame with embarrassment. Moments later, they stopped at a western styled house by the end of a block.

_'What an impressive place.' _Kurama thought to himself. _'Her mentor must be very well-off.'_

"Thank you for walking me home, Kurama." his classmate said with a grateful bow. "You've been very kind to me."

A tall wiry looking woman exited from the building. She had her short, messy black hair held back by a headband.

"Well he'd better nice to sweet girl like you!" the woman teased.

Serina raised an eyebrow. "Yuzuki-san! Be nice!" she pouted.

"Sooooo, who's your friend~?" she playfully pointed to Kurama.

"I'm Shuichi Minamino, Serina's classmate. Pleased to meet you." The red-head replied.

"Yuzuki Hidaka." The woman introduced herself. She studied him carefully until her eyes faded dull like two hardened coals. She could tell something was different about this boy as a sudden chill shot down her spine. He had body of a human but the aura of a demon! "It was very nice meeting you. Now if you'll excuse us, Serina has kanji lessons this evening. We need to catch her up since she missed out on them yesterday."

"Yeah, I tried to tell those thugs that I needed to get home but they just wouldn't listen!" Serina rubbed the back of her head as she told the blatant lie.

"It was nice meeting you too, Hidaka-san." Kurama said politely. "Serina, I will see you tomorrow at school." The two class mates waved goodbye as he headed back down the street.

Serina went inside, kicked off her shoes, and made way to the living room couch. Yuzuki followed in behind but headed for the kitchen instead. She returned quickly with two hot teacups and set one of them on the coffee table in front of the girl.

"Before we begin, there's something I want to talk to you about." she said, as she took a seat next to Serina.

"Alright." The school girl replied. "Is everything O.K.?"

Yuzuki took a deep breath. Serina did not know about her aura reading abilities. Since they had moved to Japan, her mentor had sworn to always protect her from the supernatural, even if she had to hide it from her. This time, it wasn't going to be easy.

"I know I haven't asked much of you since you've lived with me. But please hear me out." The woman said with a serious expression on her face. "Stay away from that boy." 

Serina was in disbelief. "W-wait, why?" Was all she could manage to say.

"It's not something I can explain to you right now. I just need you to trust me on this."

"Look," Serina huffed. "If you think Shuichi is some kind of troublemaker, he's not. He's a nice boy and he's my friend. If you can't give me a good reason why I shouldn't be around him..."

"Listen! I'm only telling you this for your own good. As your teacher and your guardian, I cannot allow you to put yourself in danger."

"You only met him a few minutes ago and you think that he's _**dangerous**_?"

"Please, you have to understand! That boy is a-"

"**N****O**, I won't!" The girl yelled. She took a deep breath and softly continued. "He's...he's the only friend I have at that stupid school. He doesn't make fun of my hair, or my accent, or even the way I look. How could you hate someone like that?"

"Serina, I..."

"Sorry... I'm... very tired. I think I'm going to turn in early tonight." The upset girl left quickly to her room upstairs.

Yuzuki could only watch her with pity.

_'There's a whole world out there that you just don't understand. If you're not careful, it will swallow you whole. I took you away from it the first time, but I'm not sure if I am strong enough to do it twice...'_

In her room, Serina lay down on her bed. She had changed out of her uniform and was now wearing boot cut jeans and a white graphic t-shirt. Grabbing a pillow, she smothered her face with it attempting to cool her hot head. She was grateful to Yuzuki for taking her in but her mentor could never understand her grief. Without 'Shuichi', she would be alone again. He knew and understood the world she had been tossed into. Juno had chosen her as a target but she couldn't figure out why. With Kurama's knowledge, maybe she could finally understand. Serina moved the pillow from her face to the floor in revelation.

_'__Why can't I be strong like Kurama and his friends?_she wondered. _'__Maybe I can ask Genkai to teach me more about my powers. Then, I won't have to rely on anyone to save me!__'_

It was then that a loud knock came from her bedside window. Serina sat up to see a familiar blue haired girl on a flying oar. She lifted the latch and pushed it up enough to fit herself through.

"Botan?" Serina asked, sticking her head outside. "What are you doing here?"

"Genkai has asked me to bring you back to her place!" The reaper replied cheerfully.

The frizzy haired girl's face lit up. "Excellent, I was just thinking I should pay her a visit."

She ran to her closet, grabbed shoes and a jacket, and threw them on in a hurry. Going back to the window she hopped through and seated herself on the oar.

Botan was taken aback by her eagerness. "Uh, alright then! Let's go!"

The pair zoomed away just in time for Yuzuki to enter the room.

"Was that... the grim reaper?"


	5. My Secret Life

"Are you sure you're ready? I'm not gonna hold back this time."

Serina shifted her feet apart, digging her sneakers into the dark earth. A cool breeze blew through the forest of trees and tumbled her dyed black hair. Raising her arms in front, she opened her palms and beckoned the person before her.

"Give me all you've got, Yusuke."

The boy charged, swinging his left fist at her. She swayed to the right to avoid it only to be socked by his other hand. The girl fell back hitting the trunk of a nearby tree before Yusuke began again. He threw a flurry of punches just to have them dodged. Serina ducked and made a hard counter at the boy's stomach, knocking him down.

"Hey, nice punch!" Yusuke coughed, rubbing his abdomen.

"Really? Thanks!"

"Do you really think a demon would fall for a weak move like that? Her strength is nothing without using spirit energy."

The two teens turned around to see Hiei stumble down from the branches of the tree they had hit.

"Yeah, I know that." Yusuke said, "But if I can at least teach her how to fight it's a start. Besides, I had to _**die**_ before I even knew I had powers."

"You... died?!" A stunned Serina said, looking quite pale.

"It's a long story. Anyways, I'm sure if we work at it we'll have you fighting with your energy in no time!"

It had been a week since her argument with Yuzuki. Serina, while usually obedient had been secretly going to Genkai's temple instead of school to train. She had to be ready for the next time Juno appeared.

"I hope so." The girl said, staring at her toughened hands. _'If I can't, then he wins...'_

"Why were you watching us fight from up there anyways, Hiei?"

"Fool, I wasn't watching you." The sleep deprived fire demon huffed. "Maybe if she did something impressive I would fight her myself, but I doubt she ever will."

Serina's cheeks puffed up in irritation. She raised her finger as if to say something but was quickly cut short by an extremely loud and empty rumble.

"Ehehe. Well whaddya know, it's almost dinner time!" Yusuke said while rubbing his stomach. "I wonder if the old hag's got anything good cookin'?"

"Now that I think about it," Serina said, "Kurama should be here soon with my homework! We should head back."

Yusuke nodded in agreement and the two roughed up teens made their way through the forest. Hiei, glad to be rid of the disturbance, hopped back into his tree to rest. Approaching the main house, Serina spotted an unfamiliar young man speaking with Genkai. He had short brown hair, dressed in royal blue robes with khaki pants, and a wide red scarf was draped around his neck in an elegant manner. The most striking feature were the letters 'J' and 'R' stamped upon his forehead. He also seemed to be talking with a pacifier in his mouth.

"Hey, Koenma!" Yusuke walked up to the two with a Cheshire grin. "I didn't know it was Genkai's turn to babysit!"

"I see you're still as smart mouthed as ever." The brown haired man replied, annoyed by the remark. "But I'm actually here for Serina." He turned to look at the girl in her beat up jeans and tanktop.

"Me?" she pointed to herself "And who might you be?"

"My name is Koenma. I'm sure Yusuke's told you all about me."

"Hmm," Serina paused to think "I don't remember him mentioning you. Are you another friend of his?"

Clearly displeased, Koenma glared at Yusuke. "Not really, though we have worked together for a while now. I suppose you could call me his boss."

"**HA**, no way! He's just a baby that throws temper tantrums!" Yusuke squashed his cheeks together with his hands as if to imitate the prince "Yusuke! Go beat up this big bad _scawwy_ demon or daddy's gonna _spank meeee_!"

"YOU'D BETTER LEARN TO RESPECT YOUR SUPIRIORS, YOU PUNK! I OUTTA TAKE YOU BACK TO THE SPIRIT REALM AND JUDGE YOU MYSELF!"

As Yusuke continued to tease the young man, Serina walked over to Genkai.

"Is that guy really Yusuke's boss?" she asked her elder. "I mean, he looks so young but he acts kind of... _strange_."

The old woman laughed to herself. "He's the son of King Enma, the god of the afterlife. Trust me, he's older than he acts."

"He's _**GOD**_?" The girl blurted.

Koenma stopped his squabble with the detective in time to hear her words. "No no no,** a**__god! Don't you know anything about Buddhism?"

A confounded Serina shook her head as Yusuke giggled uncontrollably. Koenma let out a visible sigh.

"Listen, the only reason I came here in person was to make you an offer." The prince said as he ran fingers through his hair. "I know that he's already teaching you to fight, but I also want you to assist Yusuke on his investigations as a Spirit Detective."

"You mean, you want me to help him fight demons?" Serina asked.

"Among other things, yes."

"Woah, wait a sec!" Yusuke interjected. "Don't I have a say in this?!"

"But, why me? Don't you have Kurama and the others to help?" the girl said insecurely. "I can't even control my powers yet."

"That may be so," the prince continued, "but your previous encounter with Juno can give us special insight. This way, we might be able to figure out his objectives."

"I see." Serina looked away for a moment. A glimpse of impassioned pain flashed in her eyes.

"Hey, Earth to Koenma!" the Spirit Detective yelled. "Did you forget that she almost lost her arm to that guy?!"

She slowly rolled her eyes up to meet Koenma's and furrowed her brow. "I'll do it."

"Good," Koenma said as he turned to the frustrated boy. "Yusuke, I have full confidence that you will train her well. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

Yusuke's stomach replied in a low, angry rumble before he had a chance to argue any further. "Aw, screw it! I'm too hungry..."

Quickly, the prince made his exit around the side of the temple. Once he reached the front, he saw Kurama walking up the stone stairs near the entrance. He stopped for a moment as the boy approached him.

"Good evening, Koenma." the red head greeted "It's rare to see you in the human world like this. Do you have any information on the whereabouts of Juno?"

"No, but Serina has agreed to help search for him." Koenma said.

A look of deep concern and a bit of surprise flickered in Kurama's eyes. "Are you sure it is wise to involve her?"

"I do." the prince responded, "From what you have told me, she has some connection with this enemy. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I know she will be useful."

"I suppose you're right." Kurama said, "Though, from now on things will not be easy for her."

Back in the bustling suburbs, Yuzuki had just arrived home from her weekly grocery trip. She quickly put away her purchased goods and sat at the kitchen table where a small stack of letters were placed. The woman began shuffling through the envelopes when one in particular caught her eye. It was a letter from America. Yuzuki's eyes wandered to the ticking clock on the nearby wall.

_'She's late again.' _

One week ago, she had seen the grim reaper at Serina's windowsill. In shock, the woman never said a word to her pupil. She desperately wanted to tell her the truth, but she feared that might push her away. Yuzuki knew that she could not protect the girl from the supernatural forever, but she was still concerned about that demon boy. Why was he attending a human school? Why did he take interest in Serina? Was he a lackey of the same demon from back then? Suddenly, the front door flew open.

"Yuzuki-san, I'm home!" Serina greeted, kicking off her shoes. She made her way to the dining room.

"Welcome home!" Her mentor said, "How was school today?"

"Err." Serina hesitated, "You know... the usual."

The older woman knew that it was an obvious lie. Serina had come in wearing a crinkled and crooked uniform. There was no way she had been attending school the past few days.

Yuzuki faked a small smile. "I was just going through the mail. You got a letter today."

"A letter?" the girl said, grabbing the envelope from the woman's hand. The address in the corner was written in English and her name clearly printed in the center. Serina looked at Yuzuki with a sullen expression.

"I...um. Excuse me. I'm going to read this in my room." she spoke entirely in English.

Yuzuki understood and nodded as the girl headed upstairs. Closing the door behind her, Serina lay down on her bed and opened the letter. As she silently read, the stinging of tears threatened her rust colored eyes. Word after word, her hands trembled. Finally, she furiously crumpled up the paper and threw it aside. The girl dangled her arm off the side of her bed and reached underneath. She pulled out a picture frame with a photo of a tall chestnut haired boy. He was smiling and had his arm wrapped around a shorter, not-so-happy girl. She cradled it and quietly wept until she wore herself to sleep.


End file.
